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Name That Song ! [No.3]

Mon Oct 17, 2005 1:37 pm

An occasional series in the 'Trivia' vein which looks at details about a song.

But can you name it ?

The composer had The Everly Brothers in mind.

But he was friends with a singer who said 'let my mate have it'.

He did and it was a hit.

The song is about loneliness, and the hit record had a vocal backing by The Jordanaires and guitar by James Burton.

Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:00 pm

I'm thinking Ricky Nelson. Perhaps Lonesome Town?

Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:10 pm

TJ -

You've got it !

I got the details from the today's obituary of Thomas Baker Knight jnr [Baker Knight] who also composed The Wonder of You.

He died on 12th October, aged 72.

Baker Knight's life was somewhat marred by bouts of depression and heavy drinking.

The friend who suggested Ricky Nelson was Eddie Cochran.

The obit has a nice little Elvis anecdote:

One night in February, 1970, after performing iat the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Elvis Presley said to his pianist and arranger Glen Hardin, "Do you remember that old song The Wonder of You by Ray Peterson ? I want to do it at the first show tomorrow night."

Even though it was late, Hardin called the composer, Baker Knight, who played him his song and relayed the lyrics.

Hardin worked all night on an arrangement and then Presley performed the song for the first time.

A live recording was issued as a single and it became a major US hit and a UK No.1.

Last edited by ColinB on Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:22 pm

Cool bit of trivia. I didn't know Eddie knew Ricky.

Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:36 pm

TJ -

You wrote:

I didn't know Eddie knew Ricky.

Hmmm..... I've just re-read it and I may have got that wrong.

Eddie Cochran was a friend of Baker Knight's and it was through Eddie's friend Sharon Sheeley that Baker met Ricky Nelson.

"He had hoped to interest The Everly Brothers in a song about LA, "Lonesome Town", but he offered it to Nelson who loved it...."